Ever Alice by H.J. Ramsay is from NetGalley. It’s about Alice from Alice in Wonderland after Wonderland and everything that happens to her. It’s also about the Queen of Hearts and her descent into further madness. I’m not… super enjoying it right now. It’s a little choppy and feels unfinished. But I’ll keep reading it to see if it gets better.

Rising Strong as a Spiritual Practice by Brene Brown is once again not a book but a lecture she gave. It’s not about religion, but about the belief that people are connected to each other through something bigger than themselves, whether it be religion, art, exercise, singing, … whatever, really. I really like listening to her speak; it’s soothing, and that’s just what I need this week.

If you are paying close attention, you will notice I didn’t read any of the books I said I was going to read next last week. Last week, I said I was either going to read Once and Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy,or Treacherous is the Night by Anna Lee Huber. Part of the reason I didn’t read either is because I didn’t end up going to Barnes and Noble after the play I saw on Saturday (it’s almost forty minutes away and I only go every once in awhile). The other reason is my library had Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff available and I wanted to read it. And I’m super glad I did.

So, next, I think I’ll read *drumroll*

What are you reading this find Wednesday? Drop a comment below and let me know!

It really doesn’t feel like Wednesday today. I had Monday off work, so yesterday felt like Monday and now it feels like Tuesday. This, I think, will work in my favor as I’m eagerly anticipating Saturday, when I can go see (and probably get my heart broken by) Avengers: Endgame. If I’m a day behind, the week will go more quickly, right?

I’m still reading The Gifts of Imperfection. It’s a short book, so I’m not sure why it’s taking me so long. I’m engaged in it, and it’s giving me a lot to think about, but I’m just not going through it as fast as I thought I would.

I’m also rereading Aru Shah and the End of Time. I read it last year and I wanted to refresh my memory because the sequel is being released next week. It’s still a really fun book, and I love Aru and her confidence in herself. I also love Mini and her lack of confidence; I find it really easy to relate to.

Recently finished:

I really loved Any Old Diamonds by KJ Charles a lot. My review went up Monday and it was all me gushing. It was just so good.

I also really liked Song of Achilles. It was definitely as good as I heard. I think I may have liked Circe more, but this is definitely a new favorite.

Good Omens was a fun listen, but I could never quite get over Adam’s voice. I just kept expecting him to go on a rant about the kids on his lawn and why can’t they be respectful like they were in his day. It didn’t fit the character of an eleven year old boy at all. But, the story was still fun, and now I’m really looking forward to the series.

Up Next:

I think that I’ll probably read Play it Again by Aidan Wayne next. It’s an ARC I’ve been approved for on NetGalley and it’s fairly short. Then I’ll read Aru Shah and the Song of Death and An American Duchess. Or I’ll read two at a time. I always forget I can do that.

It’s Wednesday! This week is going by too quickly. I’m on spring break and definitely think the week could go just a bit more slowly for me. Still, I’m getting a lot of reading done, relaxing, and enjoying myself. So that’s good.

I’m currently reading The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown. It’s a self-help book about how to treat yourself with compassion and embrace your imperfections. I heard about it from one of my favorite inspirational Youtubers, MuchelleB, and though it sounded interesting enough to check out. Luckily, the library had a copy. It’s short, only about 140 pages or so. If I really like it, I may buy a copy for myself to keep around. I definitely need to learn how to embrace my imperfections and be compassionate with myself. It’s something I struggle with daily.

I’m also reading Any Old Diamonds by K.J. Charles, who is one of my favorite romance writers. This book is about a diamond heist where a man named Lord Alexander Pyne hires Jerry Crozier to steal diamonds Alec’s father gives to his wife. They pose as best friends and wind up falling in love. So far, it’s just a really fun book.

I’m also still listening to Good Omens, although I’m coming up on the ending soon.

What did you recently finish?

I just finished Stone Rainbow by Liane Shaw. This book is about Jackson, a gay boy living in a small town. Although there are rumors circulating about his sexuality, he is in the closet to everyone but a few friends and his mother. Then, a boy named Benjamin moves to town and Jackson finds himself intensely attracted. After a brush with near tragedy, Jackson decides he can’t hide who he is anymore and decides to make a statement to himself, his friends, and his own. I really loved this book a lot. My review will be coming next week.

I also just finished The Earl Next Door by Amelia Grey, which was a sweet Victorian romance where the hero and heroine lived next door to each other. They are insanely attracted to one another, but keep finding excuses to butt heads with one another until their passion takes over. Review is coming later.

What do you think you’ll read next?

I’m not entirely sure yet. At some point, I have to read The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, which I got from Amazon Prime and haven’t touched yet. I also want to reread Aru Shaw and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi so it’s fresh in my mind before I read Aru Shaw and the Song of Death, which came out today (and my Target didn’t have!!!). So, either or both of those.

What are you currently reading?What did you recently finish reading?What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

I’m currently reading three books. One is An Artless Demise by Anna Lee Huber. This is the seventh in the Lady Darby series, which is a series of historical mystery books about a woman named Lady Kiera Darby. She had been married to a man who forced her to use her artistic abilities to draw cadavers for an accurate anatomy book. He got the bodies through illegal methods and, after his death, it caused a scandal that caused her to leave society in disgrace. By this book, she’s reentered society and in addition to pursuing her art, she also investigates mysteries. In this book, she’s returned to London just as a gang of body snatchers are arrested. Kiera’s past threatens her present and she must find a way to prove her innocence once again. I love, love, love this series and am so happy this book came out yesterday.

I’m also reading The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. It’s about a girl name Blue who’s been told her whole life that her destiny is to be the cause of her true love’s death. She’s determined not to fall in love, until she sees the not-quite-dead-yet spirit of Gansey in a cemetery on St. Mark’s Eve, the night when the spirits of those who will die that year walk through. Now, she needs to figure out how to stop him from dying. I’m only a few chapters in and it’s okay right now, I guess? I’m a little underwhelmed by it, but I’ll keep plugging along.

I’m also still listening to Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. I have to stay, I’m getting a little annoyed at the narrator’s voice. There’s just something… bratty about it that I don’t like. It’s fitting to the characters, I suppose, but I still find it annoying.

What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished Tiger Queen by Annie Sullivan. This was a creative retelling of The Lady and the Tiger where the princess is a warrior being trained to be queen. She fights the suitors who want to marry her. When she finds out who the last suitor is, she knows she can never win and flees to the desert to train with her mortal enemies, The Desert Boys. I liked this book okay. It wasn’t my favorite, but once I got past the beginning and she got to the desert, I liked it a lot better. My review will be up in a few days.

I also finished Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia. I loved this book. In it, Eliza is an introvert who hates school. Her life is online, where she is creator of the wildly popular webcomic Monstrous Sea. When a new boy comes to school and turns out to be a superfan of the comic, they form a bond, although she keeps her identity a secret. When it finally comes out, Eliza has to find a way to keep her world from collapsing around her. This book was amazing. It captured what it’s like to be stuck somewhere you hate and your only solace is the internet and your creative aspirations. I highly identified with Eliza and related to her struggles so much. Review to come.

What do you think you’ll read next?

After I finish my current books, I think I’ll read Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco. This is a sequel to Stalking Jack the Ripper and looks like it’ll be a lot of fun.

I will also start the book Milady by Laura L. Sullivan. This book is about Milday from Three Musketeers. I got it from NetGalley and look forward to reading it.

What are you currently reading?What did you recently finish reading?What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading? I am currently reading Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. This is the second book I’ve been approved for on NetGalley and I’m so excited to read it! It’s about the son of the President of the United States who falls in love with the Prince of Wales. What could be better? While, I do have to admit, I was a little burned out on YA contemporary romances, this one has a twist that I think will keep me hooked.

I’m also listening to Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. I’m enjoying it, but I cannot tell if it’s a fantasy world or a dystopian future world. It’s about a world where people are divided by blood–red and silver, with silver blooded people being the elite. Mare is a Red, but she finds herself involved in a conspiracy to pass herself off as a Silver after discovering that, despite her blood, she has Silver-like powers. I felt it was a little slow to start, and it does remind me a lot of The Hunger Games in some ways, but I’m enjoying it.

What did you recently finish reading? I just finished Murder at Morrington Hall by Clara McKenna. It’s the first in a mystery series where Stella is an American heiress on holiday with her father in England. While there, she discovers, to her horror, that it’s not just a vacation, she’s betrothed to Viscount Lyndhurst. She’s determined to back out of the wedding, but things take a dangerous turn when she and the Viscount—“Lyndy” discover the vicar dead in the library. Now, they must band together to solve the mystery. I really liked this book. Most of the characters were horrible people and I wanted to strangle them, but I liked Stella and Lyndy a lot. I like the mystery, too, but it would have been easier to follow had not almost every minor character have a name starting with an “H”. Review to come.

What do you think you’ll read next? I went to the library over the weekend and got three books: Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco, The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater, and Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia. I’m not sure which I’ll pick up first.

It’s Wednesday so time to do the WWW Wednesday meme! This meme is hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. Each week, you answer three questions:

What are you currently reading?What did you recently finish reading?What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently reading. I am currently reading Hexhunter by Jordan L. Hawk. This is the fourth in the Hexworld series, where there are witches and familiars. Familiars are people who can shift into animal form, and witches draw magic from them. This book centers around Issac, a familiar who’s been badly abused by witches and has almost no self worth, and Bill Quigely, a detective who is the official liaison between the regular police and the Metropolitan Witch Police. Bill has been in love with Isaac for two years, but is convinced that Isaac doesn’t return his feelings. Of course, Isaac does, but is so convinced there’s something wrong with him, he can’t give Bill a chance. They’re brought together again to solve missing children case. I’m really enjoying this book a lot. I’m a sucker for pining and self-worth issues, so it’s like this book was written for me.

I’m also still listening to The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert. Alice has been on the run her whole life with her mother, plagued by bad luck and a sense of dread. Now, Alice’s mother has been taken by characters from the fairy tales Alice’s grandmother wrote, and Alice is desperate to get her back. She has to go on a journey to the Hazel Wood, her grandmother’s mysterious house, and face what lies there. This book has gotten so good. There’s a lot that I didn’t see coming and I can’t wait to see how it unfolds.

Recently finished. I just finished A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer. This is a Beauty and the Beast retelling where Rhen has been cursed to relive the fall season of his 18th year. If he can fall in love and have someone fall in love with him before the end of the season, the curse will be broken. If not, he’ll turn into a beast and wreak havoc on anyone and anything that stands at his way. Unwilling to put his kingdom at risk, he sends his faithful Royal Guardsman, Grey, to our world to bring back women. Harper happens to see Grey taking a woman, and she rushes to stop him. Grey is forced to abduct her instead. Stuck for the season, Harper soon finds herself deeply involved in protecting the kingdom and learning there is more to herself than she’d thought. I loved this book so much. It’s one of my favorite B&tB retellings ever. Seriously, it was so, so good.

Up next. Next, I think I will read A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourne. This is a mystery novel about a woman named Veronica Speedwell, who plans to travel the world and conduct scientific research. However, she’s almost abducted. A friend suggests she stay with a man named Stoker, but when the friend turns up dead, Veronica and Stoker have to join forces to find the truth.

What are you currently reading?What did you recently finish reading?What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading? I am currently reading The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler.

In this book, five women and one man come together each month to read one of Jane Austen’s novels. The chapters vacillate between scenes of the club talking about the book and scenes of the lives of the various characters. Each member hosts one of the book discussions at her (or his) house, and we learn more about that person in flashbacks. I’m am enjoying this book somewhat. The characters don’t seem to like each other very much and are especially mean to Grigg, the sole man of the group. I also wish there was more talk about the books. Also, some of the flashbacks are uncomfortable to read. But it’s written in a way that keeps me engaged, so I’m going to keep going. Full disclosure: I have seen the movie, which is the only reason that I’m not getting too frustrated by the women’s snobbery against scifi (although I am a little irritated. I can’t help it.).

I’m also listening to The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert. In this book, Alice has grown up on the road with her mother, who kept Alice away from her fairy tale writer mother. But when Alice’s mother goes missing, Alice goes to her friends, Ellery Finch, a fan of the books, for help finding her. This book is a little slow; I’m about two hours in and the mother has just now gone missing. But it’s interesting and I can’t wait to read more.

What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished reading The Daughter of Sherlock Holmes by Leonard Goldberg. This book was about the daughter of Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler. She’s been raised without knowledge of her background and is now a widow with a ten year old son. She and her son are a witness to an apparent suicide that Dr. Watson and his son are looking in to. Of course, Joanna has her father’s brilliant mind as well as her mother’s charm and beauty. She becomes involved in the case which involves murder, secret codes, and a treasure. I though this book was okay, but the characters all had the same voice and there was way too much of Joanna explaining to everyone what was going on.

What do you think you’ll read next?

The next book I plan to read is Heretics Anonymous by Katie Henry. All I know about it is it’s about a group of teenagers at a religious school who either aren’t religious or not the religion of the school. They find one another and form a community. I’ve also heard it’s really funny. I can’t wait to read it.

So, what are you reading? What do you think about I’m reading? I’d love to hear from you! Drop a comment below and say hi!